Sinner withdraws from China Open as knee injury delays return

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner has withdrawn from the China Open in Beijing, delaying his return to competition as he continues to recover from a knee injury that has kept him out since Wimbledon.

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner has withdrawn from the China Open in Beijing, delaying his return to competition as he continues to recover from a knee injury that has kept him out since Wimbledon.

The 25-year-old Italian announced his withdrawal on Friday, saying he was not yet ready to compete.

“I won’t be able to play in Beijing this year. My knee is not where I would like it to be and I’m not ready to compete yet, but I will do everything possible to be back on court as soon as I can,” Sinner said on social media.

Sinner has not played since winning his fifth Grand Slam title at Wimbledon on July 12. The knee injury also forced him to miss the US Open.

Sinner has had a strong 2026 season, with a record of 44 wins against three losses and six titles, including Wimbledon.

However, he suffered a surprise second-round defeat at the French Open, where he was the favourite to win the title. He struggled physically in the Paris heat before losing to Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cerundolo in five sets.

Sinner’s absence in Beijing could help his closest rival, Alexander Zverev, close the gap in the ATP rankings.

Sinner entered the week 1,810 points ahead of Zverev in the rankings.

Sinner also has more points to defend than Zverev through the remainder of the season. Last year, he won the ATP 500 events in Beijing and Vienna, the Paris Masters 1000 and the ATP Finals in Turin.

Zverev, meanwhile, had a less successful finish to the 2025 season.

The German has won the French Open and US Open titles in 2026 and is entered in tournaments in Beijing, Shanghai and Vienna in the coming weeks.